"Friends from school and work," I said slowly. It wasn't exactly another lie. Ihadmet them at school andwork.
"Why are they texting you so early and so much?" She read through some of the messages, her eyes squinting as if she found them difficult toread.
"I-I..." I didn't know what to say, how to respond without another lie, because even I didn't know what they were texting about. I hadn't read the lastfew.
"Respect," she said suddenly, pulling her face away from the glowing screen. "I never said you were allowed a cell phone." She moved to the sink and I stepped forward, one of my feet almost tripping over Cleo as she rubbed against the inside of my ankle with her hackles raised towards my mom. "No more of this," she said. "You need to learn to respect myrules."
I watched in shock as she stuck the phone down the sink drain and leaned over, flipping the garbage disposal switch up. Loud cracking noises shattered my stunned silence as the blades inside began to whir, destroying the phone. I lunged for the switch on the wall, but my mom stood before it as if daring me to shove her aside. Air clogged my throat as I stood there and listened to the sounds of the phone screen fracturing, the metal and glass pieces sticking to the insides of the disposal, which was just one more thing I would have to pay tofix.
After several moments of the raucous volume, she finally reached back and flipped the switch down, cutting off the horrendous noise. Her feet shuffled across the vinyl kitchen floor as she paused and glanced back down at thecat.
"Remember what I said," she snarled. "Get rid ofit."
I stared at the sink long after she was gone, scared to reach in for the remains of the phone. I would have to explain to Marv and the guys what had happened.I would also have to take Cleo with me today. I was half-terrified that if I left her here, even for another day, that I might come home to find her as the next thing pushed down the garbage disposal. It didn't matter that the thing was now beyond any real repair and likely wouldn't work. If she wanted to, my mom could very well do something equally horrible and I couldn't let that happen toCleo.
Spotting a dish towel on the counter, I used it to pull as many of the cracked and broken pieces of the cell phone from the sink drain as I could. I kept the pieces bundled tightly in the towel, holding it close to my side with one hand while I bent down and scooped Cleo up with the other. I was sure Marv was still texting me, but considering the condition of the phone, I knew I wouldn't hear any more pings or vibrations, nor would I be able torespond.
Cleo meowed at my face as I opened the front door and juggled her and the towel while trying to lock it behind myself. My book bag bumped against my back as I strode across the street. Marv's dark, shiny BMW was parked across the street just as he said it would be in his last text – the last one I had been able toread.
The bright, yellow school bus that I would have normally ridden to school at this time of the morning stopped several houses down and kids began to board. I glanced at it once before continuing across the street to the BMW. Marv opened the driver's door, but I opened the passenger door and slid in before he could make it around the back fender. He frowned, but returned to his side, and slipped back into the leatherinterior.
"What happened? I've been texting you like crazy. What took so long? Why are you bringing that?" He motioned to my cat as she curled up in mylap.
Cleo meowed back as though she recognized him, and purred under my soft strokes. I inhaled deeply, rubbing the underside of her chin. Somehow just being near the animal calmed me. "My mom caught me trying to leave," I said. I held out the kitchen towel. "I'm sorry, but the phone didn't makeit."
His brow puckered, but he took the towel from me, opening the flaps I had folded it into to reveal the damaged pieces of the cell phone Texas had given me. He stared down quietly before picking up one battered chunk of screen and turning it over and over in hishand.
"I'm sorry," I repeated, quietly. My eyes burned with embarrassment. "I'll try to pay you back," I offered. Cleo bumped her head against my hand when my pettingpaused.
"She did this?" he finally asked. I nodded, keeping my eyes trained on the black and gray cat in my lap. "What did she freaking use, ablender?"
My head jerked up. The tone of his voice was the furthest thing from angry. It was shocked, yes, but also curious and slightly amused. "It was the garbage disposal," I admitted. "She heard it and demanded I hand it over. She was yelling at me about Cleowhen–"
"Cleo?" Gray eyes peered at me from beneath his darkbrows.
I gestured to the cat in my lap. "Cleo," I repeated. "She was yelling at me about having a cat in the house, saying she probably has rabies. I told her I was just keeping her until I could find her a good home, but she told me to get rid of her today, and I was afraid that if I left her there..." Everything spilled out from between my lips before I could stop it; the words coming like a flood bursting from adam.
"It's okay, I understand." He refolded the flaps and turned, placing them behind us on the floor of the backseat. "We'll take Cleo back to the condo. Texas rarely leaves. He'll take care of her until you can find someone else to keepher."
"Thank you. I'll try to find someone else to take her as soon as I can." He reached forward, his eyes softening, the stars coming out to sparkle. With one thumb, he drew a line across my cheek and then traced it for severalseconds.
"You don't have to thank me, Sunshine." He smiled. "I don't mind helping you – so long as you stay out of theroads."
I chuffed at the reminder as he drew back and started the car. The school bus roared by as we headed in the opposite direction and I was thankful for the tinted windows of thecar.
"Here." Marv passed me his cell phone as we stopped at a stop sign before turning out of my neighborhood. "Text the guys for me. Let them know your phone is out of commission and that we're on ourway."
I nodded and pulled up their names one by one before typing a text to send to all of them. I copied and pasted the same message to each of theirnumbers.
Marv:This is Harlow. My phone is broken. Marv told me to tell u that we're on theway
Slowly, but surely, I was getting the hang of texting, though I found it difficult to keep up with their speed and precision. It was just faster all around to shorten things. The replies were almostinstantaneous.
Knix:Where areyou?
Texas:What happened to yourphone?
Bellamy:K